WSJ: Nokia's first Android phone (Normandy / Nokia X) will be announced at MWC 2014

Sources “familiar with the matter” are telling the Wall Street Journal that Nokia plans to officially announced its very first Android-based smartphone later this month. More exactly, the Finnish company, which is about to be swallowed up by Microsoft (well, at least its phone division is), should show the Android handset at MWC 2014 in Barcelona.

Initially codenamed Normandy, the upcoming Android device could end up being called Nokia X. As previously reported, the Normandy / X should run a forked version of Android. According to the WSJ, the device won’t provide access to Google Play, and neither to other popular Google services. Instead, it’ll offer “a Nokia application store with Android apps”, plus services like Here Maps, Nokia Mix Radio and others. Feature-wise, we’re looking at an entry-level handset that supposedly has a 4-inch WVGA display, dual-core Snapdragon processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal memory, and MicroSD card support. The phone should have a dual SIM version, and multiple color options.

The WSJ somewhat misleadingly mentions that Windows Phone “does not work on low-cost phones”, and that’s why Microsoft allows Nokia to go on with this Android project: to boost sales, even if helped by a competitor platform on an affordable handset. However, the very popular Nokia Lumia 520 proves the publication wrong: Windows Phone does work on ultra-cheap devices. Of course, it’s true that the Lumia 520 can’t offer all the features that a high-end WP handset is offering.

Anyway. Nokia, Android, MWC. It may still be unbelievable for some, but it looks like it’s happening. It will be really interesting to see how many X / Normandy units Nokia manages to sell. But that depends on its price, market availability and more. We're guessing that we'll see soon how things go.

This is meant to take over for S40 on the Ashas line. Microsoft will never let Nokia pump out a high-end Android, at least not now. This phone will be lucky to make it outside of any emerging markets as long as MS is about to take over.

Thats why they are giving it away with an xbox music subscription now. Even during the holidays the 520 was selling for as low as $49. Nokia still sold 700,000 less lumias from the previous quarter. There are a number of apps that require 1gb of ram to run under WP. Look at even Nokias refocus app requires 1gb of ram. I guess thats why they already released, and are currently selling the 525 which has 1gb of ram.

2.SleepingOz (unregistered)

Priced correctly, forked Android or not, this will cannibalize their own low end lumias.
Not really excited about it though, since it's a low end. But then, one can expect that if this sells well, nokia might consider Android for their future flagships. =]

If its dosent have the Google play store tho. How many apps are actually going to be available. Only the ones that MS approves. Which is going to suck beings you know they will keep the number of apps lower than what is currently available on Windows Phone.

I'll bet they use the Normandy as an opportunity to put Windows Phone on only their high-end and best handsets. The Asha series will have this forked Android, and will be Nokia's (then Microsoft's) major push for a solid return to the emerging markets as top competitor. The Normandy will never make it to the US.

It's doubtful going forward that Microsoft will release any Android devices, this was most likely a decision by Risto Siilasmaa
or others close to him before the deal becomes final.

The future Microsoft/Nokia getting involved in Android is a bad for many reasons as I showed previously, various Android OEM's are falling on hard times look at HTC for eg.

WP has a very bright future it sold tens of Millions more devices than it did in 2012, making it the fastest growing OS in the world, no need for forked versions.

Besides Elop is not gone at least not once the deal is completed he will rejoin Microsoft as the head of the devices team in charge of Surface, Windows Phone including ( Nokia Lumias soon to be Lumias), and Xbox according to The Verge.

He is a brilliant man despite what many has said, if you look at the actual facts that much is clear.

Can you let me in on how Elop is brilliant? He took over a sinking ship and didn't improve the situation, to the point that they ended up being bought out by his former employer. And I seriously doubt if that was the plan all along that he came up with it. It's not even a new plan, it's been done for years. He would be what is called a corporate mole or plant, who's function is to force the company's business revenue downhill making them ripe for takeover.

This is a replacement for Nokia's S40 OS that they use on their Asha feature phones. Instead of trying to further develop S40 to work better with touchscreen devices, they are simply switching to a forked version of Android. Just like Amazon's forked version of android on the Kindle, you won't see any reference to android anywhere. To the user this is Nokia's new Asha OS.

IMO, Nokia build quality. Otherwise it's no better than buying a no name brand Android device that has their own app "library" as they call it. I mean the ones like Kryos or Next (or Verizon's Ellipsis), they have subpar build quality and lower end components. The problem is when people buy them and have a bad experience with Android, they have no one to blame but themselves. It's the no name devices like that that give Android a bad name. There are low priced alternatives that still give you a great experience, like the Nexus series.

Too bad it's not on something like the 1520. I checked one out at the AT&T store this weekend while getting my wife a new phone. Probably wouldn't take me away from my Note 3 but sill a nice looking phone.

Those who believe that nokia will realease this phone are pathetic fools.
There is no reason for nokia to do this now, there is no reason for customer to buy this crap phone which would be dead in day of its release, which would lag more than average lagdroid, which would have "few" apps in the "store".

I have no doubt Microsoft has already spoken to Nokia about this smartphone and may allow it's sale. Folks do not be shocked that Microsoft allows this device to go on sale. Microsoft is a devices and Services Company and will sell a variety of devices to the Public. This is the year Microsoft will give Apple iphones and Android smart phones MS Office. maybe Microsoft would rather have it on their Nokia brand of Android first. Microsoft's New CEO and Bill Gates his New Technology advisor will point Microsoft in a new direction. Microsoft has worked with OPEN source LINUX projects and since Android is a version of LINUX for mobile devices Microsoft may work with it also through it's Nokia forked version of Android. Since this "Normandy" smart phone uses a version of Android Hackers will easily convert it to run Standard Android apps. Microso0ft will test the Android waters through the Normandy smart phone by letting it's Nokia personnel do the work. if all goes well their will be a MS Android smart phone as well as Windows 8.1 smart phones believe it or not

I really don't think this has anything to do with MS at all... This is something that Nokia had to put on hold because of the deal with MS, and now,, soon, Nokia can do as they please.... This will be a Nokia branded device, and is seriously niche...

I hope this CEO just kills Windows phone 8. They should either revamp it completely or make a custom Nokia / Microsoft / Android phone. Microsoft already lost...pretty much. They just need to strategize and rethink. I believe they need Android.

I really don't understand how that is "selfish" on my part. Not many people like it compared to the open market. If you were working there and your job depended on it you would want the best strategy with the most income coming in. Same if you were an investor. "Un insightful" is not a word.

Yeah I think Android is the most important thing Nokia/MS need right now. I mean just look at HTC, Sony & LG. They're selling millions of Androids and their profits are just increasing every quarter. And Motorola is the best. They earned so much profit by selling Android phones that they said "We cant take this anymore" and sold their company twice.

Whatever the size of the user bace, Nokia is ruling WP. Can you say the same about HTC, Sony or LG? I don't hate any of these companies, infact Sony is one of my favs. But facts are facts. Apart from Samsung, which other OEM is profitable adopting Android? So how can any one of you be sure that Nokia/MS will succeed with adopting Android?

Did I not say the exact same thing in what I wrote? I already said that Samsung and Apple were the only OEMs making real money on smart phones. So you're arguing against me with my own argument? Did not see that coming.

So Nokia has the highest sales of WP. That's like being the smartest kid with down syndrome. Woohoo!

Nokia is ruling it because HTC, Sony, or LG are not making windows phones right now. HTC 8X and Samsung Ativ were jokes. Nothing compared to the 1020 or 1520. MS is pushing Nokia. I am all for the underdog. I have a 1020...but I just can't use windows phone 8 compared to Android. My HTC One and Moto X are night and day. WP8 just feels a bit odd. Their Xbox music is what I really loved. However lately it's just too laggy. Google Play for music at $10 a month just pwns Xbox music. Since they lost that I just can't go back to the 1020. Except for pictures at concerts.

It is a phone that goes straight wing low range but can be of interest to those looking for a simple and basic smartphone. Hopefully in the future we will see some high-end phones with android developed by Nokia.

Very true. I think people would lean more towards an Android Nokia phone rather than a Nokia with WP8. I think this is foreshadowing into the future. Hopefully they go with Android or just dump the current windows platform and completely remake it. I have used WP since WP7 to WP8. From a Samsung Flash or Focus to the 1020 and 1520 and everything in between. It just doesn't cut it. Let's face it.....buyers want a good looking operating system. You can say all day long that it's about peoples preferences but cmon...the reality is Apple and Android look similar and are pwning the world right now. They are the top of the food chain and are the standard.

I doubt that Nokia will ever put Android on a high-end phone. By all accounts, the Normandy appears to be an Asha series redirect, and so it looks like tihis is something that will be going on low-end Asha handsets into the future, possibly. It makes the most sense that way... Windows Phone on the higher-end handsets for the developed markets in the US and Europe (Lumia series), and their Android fork on the lower-end handsets for the emerging and developing markets (Asha series). There may be some crossover in some places, but the US won't be one of those places.

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